“Montolivo had a great game, he controlled the midfield and I am happy for him, because he deserved this. Maybe the change of captain's armband is what made him perform even better," mused Montella.

“I'm not kidding myself that the hard work is done, because this is practically a whole new squad, but the lads are working hard and I am happy.

“There are players who need to integrate and let's not forget Serie A is more tactical and therefore more difficult than many other leagues. It'll be a real battle against Crotone on Sunday.

“I am very happy with the way this team is developing. We are only at the beginning, but it's a promising start. It's also gratifying to see the visceral enthusiasm of the fans in the stadium. It gives us an extra boost.

“Naturally the game immediately got on the right track and was perhaps better than we expected, so we had some dips in concentration that we ought to avoid in future. In general, it was a very positive evening. We won't take the second leg for granted, as every game is an opportunity to improve.

“The only negative of the evening was Jack Bonaventura's injury, but we hope it's nothing serious. He had a twinge in his thigh."